San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 521 of the 13ers
West Buttress
Snowdon Peak, 13,090'
Class 3 buttress
The west buttress is a scramble on quartzite ledges and blocks. Many call it Class 4; staying right on the crest keeps it Class 3. Harder steps are close by, and the rock to the right is looser. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip5.5 mi
Elevation gain2,400'
TrailheadAndrews Lake
Trailhead elevation10,815'
Less traffic, less margin
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.
Snowdon Peak is a short, rocky summit south of Molas Pass, east of the Crater Lake Trail. Its top has a fine view of Engineer Mountain and the Needle Mountains.
A climbers' path leaves the Crater Lake Trail, crosses two wet meadows and climbs through forest to talus below the north face. From there you climb grass and slabs to the foot of the west buttress and scramble up its spine to a big, flat summit plateau of talus.
The round trip is about 5.5 miles with 2,400 feet of gain. The northeast ridge is the other common route, and it makes a good way down for a loop. UN 13,060 ("N 2") to the south can be added (see that page).
Plan of the day
Start by
By 7 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the foot of the buttress by 10 a.m.
Crux
Ledges and blocks on the buttress.
Route-finding
Moderate. Take the rocky left line across the first marsh, and stay on the buttress spine.
Water
Streams on the approach. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,090'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
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Tomorrow
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Day three
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Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Andrews Lake sits just off US 550 between Silverton and Durango. From Silverton, don't go into town; stay on US 550 as it switchbacks up to Molas Pass (10,899 feet, with a big pullout and vault toilets). Keep going 0.9 mile past the pass to the signed Andrews Lake turnoff on the left.
From Durango, drive north on US 550 over Coalbank Pass. The highway drops to a sharp bend near 9,800 feet and climbs again; the signed turnoff is 6.4 miles past Coalbank Pass. If you reach the top of Molas Pass, turn around and go back 0.9 mile.
A narrow paved road leads about 0.6 mile to the lake. The lower lot by the water is for day use. A fork climbs to a much larger upper lot for backpackers, horse groups and other overnight users, with picnic tables and vault toilets. Any car can get here. You can sleep in a vehicle at the upper lot, but tents aren't allowed. Little Molas Lake (Forest Service) and Molas Lake (run by Silverton, with pay showers) have campgrounds just north of the pass.
Trail in the treesTalus and screeScramblingExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Andrews Lake trailhead 10,815' · 0 mi
From the day-use lot, walk south along the lakeshore. Right after the first dock, a path heads uphill to signs and the Crater Lake Trail, which switchbacks south through the trees.
2
Snowdon turnoff 11,200' · 1 mi
About a mile in, a trail register on the left marks a smaller path. Leave the Crater Lake Trail and follow it through meadows and patches of willow.
3
Big marsh 11,150' · 1.3 mi
At a wide, wet flat, skip the low path on the right that wades straight across. Bear left up a strip of bare rock (sometimes with cairns) to a second path that crosses farther east. The two paths join on the far side.
Watch for: Expect wet feet either way.
4
Talus below the north face 11,800' · 2 mi
Wind through deadfall in the forest, past a willow clearing and a short boggy stretch, then climb to a clearing and talus under Snowdon's north face. The northeast ridge route goes left here. Turn right (south) across the talus.
5
Toe of the buttress 12,100' · 2.3 mi
Climb steep grass or broken slabs, then a bit more talus, to the grassy toe of the buttress.
6
Summit plateau 13,000' · 2.65 mi
Scramble straight up the buttress on ledges and blocks. It eases, then gets steep again where it meets the ridge on the left, and ends suddenly at the flat talus plateau.
Watch for: Class 3; harder if you stray off the crest.
7
Summit 13,090' · 2.75 mi
Walk up and slightly left to the high point.
Getting down
Going back down the buttress is the fastest way and easier than it looks.
For a loop, scramble about 100 feet down the southeast ridge to a flat spot, then work north on blocky ledges and slabs toward the notch where the north couloir tops out. Get back on the ridge just north of the notch, follow it and its paths down to the northeast col, then walk down to the meadow below the saddle with N 1 and into the gully to the west, where a path leads back to the talus field.
If things go wrong
From the foot of the buttress, the talus leads straight back to the path.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the climbers' path below the north face and is off-trail above. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
Every way up Snowdon Peak we list, with its class.